Marked by the Tyrant After Transmigrating into a Book - Chapter 18

The youth in his arms was deathly cold, his lips turned a pale white from the chill. Sensing the warmth of a nearby embrace, he unconsciously curled his body tighter and burrowed into Jin Wang’s chest.

Jin Wang’s heart gave a sharp, painful twitch.

He gently laid Ye Shu onto the Dragon Bed, helped him out of his outer robes, and pulled a heavy quilt around him to trap the heat. Once finished, Jin Wang sat by the bedside.

“…Using a self-injury ruse,” Jin Wang muttered with a dark face, taking Ye Shu’s cold hand into his own palm. “You’ve bet everything on the fact that I won’t have the heart to let you suffer.”

The youth on the bed naturally could not respond. Ye Shu’s brows were knit tight, his pale face radiating a sense of fragile vulnerability.

To be honest, Ye Shu’s performance earlier hadn’t actually surprised Jin Wang all that much. After calming down, he felt that this was, in fact, the logical conclusion. This was the person Ye Shu was meant to be.

In this world, no one else would dare question him so boldly. No one else could guess his thoughts so accurately, or grasp the exact measure of how to make his heart soften. For a monarch, this was not necessarily a good thing.

After driving Ye Shu out, Jin Wang had sat in silence for four hours. He didn’t know how to deal with this man. But no matter the method of punishment, he couldn’t bear to follow through. He couldn’t bear it a month ago, and he certainly couldn’t bear it now.

For the first time, Jin Wang felt a twinge of regret. If he had known, he shouldn’t have been so soft-hearted in the beginning.

Ye Shu stirred slightly. Jin Wang, thinking he was waking up, instinctively let go of his hand. But Ye Shu didn’t wake; instead, his fingers curled, catching the edge of Jin Wang’s sleeve. “Cold…”

Jin Wang glanced at the bloodless hands and turned his head away. “Giving me that act again? This time I absolutely will not—”

“…Jin Wang,” Ye Shu’s voice was weak and raspy, a faint murmur. “It’s so cold…”

“…”

A moment later, Jin Wang shed his outer robe and lay down on the bed, pulling the shivering youth into his arms.

“I’m only doing this so you don’t freeze to death,” Jin Wang said, his face as still as water. “Wait until I figure out how to punish you… Hiss! Ye Qian’an, try putting your hands inside my inner tunic one more time!”

Physician Feng was quickly led into the Hall of Mental Cultivation by an attendant. The young Emperor, leaning against the headboard with a blank expression, was currently prying the youth’s now-warmed hands out from under his waistband.

“…”

Physician Feng’s teeth ached at the sight. He sat down and placed his fingers on Ye Shu’s pulse.

The pulse was smooth and fluid, rolling under his fingers like pearls on a jade plate… Wait, what?!

Physician Feng’s eyes snapped open. This pulse…

Having lost his heat source, Ye Shu began to toss and turn restlessly in Jin Wang’s arms. Jin Wang pinned him down, scolding him: “Be good and let him check you. Move again and I’ll hit you.”

“I’m not sick,” Ye Shu didn’t forget to talk back even in his sleep. “…Dog-brained Jin Wang.”

Physician Feng’s legs went weak, and he nearly fell to his knees. But Jin Wang didn’t flare up in rage. The physician peaked upward; the Emperor’s face was dark, but his eyes were significantly softer than before.

…He’s actually happy being scolded??

Jin Wang shot him a warning glance. “How is the Young Master’s pulse?”

“The… the pulse…” Physician Feng snapped back to reality. After a moment of thought, he asked tentatively, “Could Your Majesty… dismiss the attendants?”

Jin Wang immediately ordered, “Everyone out.”

Once the room was empty, Jin Wang asked, “Does it have to do with his Kunjun body?”

“…Yes,” Physician Feng said. “May I ask Your Majesty… has the Young Master’s scent been spinning out of control lately?”

“Indeed, several times.”

Physician Feng fell silent. Jin Wang’s brow furrowed.

Regarding the loss of control over the scent, Jin Wang had originally thought it was because Ye Shu was frequently with him, and the Qianjun pheromones were weakening the effects of the Breath-Suppressing Pill. But recently, Ye Shu’s anomalies were more than just a scent issue. He was constantly fatigued, his diet was finicky, and he was frequently nauseous…

Jin Wang instinctively held the man tighter. A thought he had never considered flashed through his mind. A Kunjun… can carry a child.

Jin Wang placed his hand over Ye Shu’s abdomen. His heart skipped a beat, and his voice turned raspy. “Is he…?”

“The Young Master’s pulse is a ‘Slippery Pulse,'” Physician Feng prostrated himself before Jin Wang. “…Congratulations, Your Majesty!”

After sending the physician away and dismissing the staff, Jin Wang returned to the inner chamber alone. The youth was still sleeping, but without the heat source, his sleep was fitful.

The moment Jin Wang lay down, the youth used both his hands and legs to tangle himself around the Emperor, hugging him tightly. Only in this state would he show such dependence.

Jin Wang pulled him close, his palm sliding down to that still-flat belly. His eyes held a trace of tenderness he hadn’t known he possessed. There was… a child here. A child belonging to him and Ye Shu.

Jin Wang’s fingertips trembled. Once the thought surfaced, it brought an irrepressible joy.

“Don’t…” Ye Shu moved uneasily. He buried his face in Jin Wang’s chest, muttering like he was in a nightmare, “Don’t hit me anymore.”

Jin Wang’s heart stung, the ecstasy dampening. The youth didn’t know what he was dreaming of, but he seemed terrified, burrowing deeper into the embrace. “Jin Wang, I won’t curse at you anymore, just don’t hit me, okay…?”

“Don’t be afraid… I won’t hit you,” Jin Wang stroked his back, comforting him softly. “I’ll never hit you again.”

“I don’t believe you,” Ye Shu mumbled, refusing to be swayed even in sleep. He closed his eyes and added resentfully, “…Dog Emperor.”

Jin Wang: “…”

When Ye Shu woke again, it was broad daylight. He was sunk deep into the soft bed, feeling utterly exhausted. Everything from his waist down was so sore it felt numb.

He hadn’t expected this body’s stamina to be so pathetic; standing outside for just four hours had actually made him faint from exhaustion. If I’d known, I would have just submitted sooner to save myself the trouble.

Ye Shu sat up and was about to get out of bed when a figure strode in. “Don’t move.”

Jin Wang pressed him back into the mattress. “The physician said that standing for so long damaged your muscles and bones, and you’ve caught a bit of a chill. You are not to leave this bed for a few days.”

Ye Shu looked at him warily. Why did this man… seem different from before?

Jin Wang noticed the look and gave a low laugh. “Why are you looking at me like that? Did you sleep yourself stupid?”

…Wait, was that a doting tone? Has this man finally snapped?

Ye Shu cleared his throat and asked cautiously, “Your Majesty… you aren’t going to punish me anymore?”

Jin Wang arched an eyebrow. “What, haven’t had enough?”

“Enough, definitely enough,” Ye Shu shrank back, whispering, “Please don’t punish me anymore. My legs hurt so much from standing.”

Jin Wang’s gaze dropped. He placed his hands on Ye Shu’s legs and began to rub them gently. “Here?”

Ye Shu’s legs were both numb and aching; he hissed in pain at the touch, nodding with reddened eyes. Jin Wang sat on the edge of the bed and massaged them. As the Sovereign of a nation, he had never served anyone like this; his movements were clumsy, but his strength was light, as if he were terrified of hurting him.

Ye Shu’s mind went from confusion to pure horror. His brain is definitely broken.

As Ye Shu scrutinized him suspiciously, Jin Wang suddenly spoke: “What nonsense are you thinking about now?”

Ye Shu quickly looked away. Jin Wang tilted his chin up. “I asked you a question.”

“Nothing,” Ye Shu whispered. “I just feel that Your Majesty is being… exceptionally kind today. It makes me feel a bit…”

Jin Wang: “Joyful?”

“Terrified,” Ye Shu’s eyes drooped, his face full of gloom. “You aren’t about to kill me, are you? Like giving a death row inmate his final meal before execution?”

“…” Jin Wang gritted his teeth. “You compare my kindness to a ‘final meal’?”

Ye Shu muttered under his breath, “It’s not even as good as a final meal. At least you can eat that. Your technique is so bad, it hurts.”

Jin Wang said expressionlessly, “I can hear you.”

Ye Shu immediately covered his mouth and went silent. Jin Wang pressed his brow, using every ounce of his upbringing to suppress his impulses. He chanted internally: The physician said pregnant people cannot be stimulated, cannot be frightened, and certainly cannot be hit or scolded…

Taking advantage of Jin Wang’s distraction, Ye Shu quickly pulled his legs back. He hugged his knees tight, curling into a small ball on the bed, watching Jin Wang like a hawk.

Jin Wang took a deep breath and said steadily, “While you were asleep, I thought a lot.”

“Lately, we have been testing each other constantly. There is no trust left.” Jin Wang gazed at Ye Shu, his voice dropping to a very soft register. “You were right yesterday. I wanted you to be honest, yet I haven’t told you a single word of truth either.”

“It shouldn’t be like this between us. It was my fault. I apologize to you.”

Ye Shu: “…”

What kind of trap is this now? Ye Shu couldn’t grasp Jin Wang’s angle and didn’t dare answer.

Jin Wang asked, “You don’t believe me?”

Of course he didn’t. Jin Wang’s credit rating in his mind was well into the negatives. Ye Shu didn’t want to play games anymore and asked directly, “Your Majesty, just say whatever is on your mind.”

Jin Wang looked up at him. After a night’s rest, the youth had more energy, but he was still pale and appeared even thinner. Jin Wang’s gaze drifted down, lingering on the small abdomen for a moment before looking away. “It seems you truly no longer trust me.”

This was the first time Jin Wang hadn’t used the royal “We/I” (Gu) in front of him. Jin Wang reached out, his fingertips brushing Ye Shu’s cheek to tuck a stray hair behind his ear. He said seriously, “Shu, I want to start over with you.”

Ye Shu froze. Jin Wang was exceptionally handsome; his eyes were deep and striking. When he looked at someone with such focus, it was easy to fall into the illusion of deep affection. Ye Shu stared into those eyes, and a subtle ripple of emotion stirred in his chest. It was truly difficult to remain unmoved.

Jin Wang continued, “Regardless of the reason for your treason, as long as you promise to stay by my side and abandon your rebellious heart, I will let the past go.”

“Your entire family is currently imprisoned in the Court of State Ceremonies, and your confiscated assets haven’t yet entered the national treasury. If you want them back, I can return them to you.”

Ye Shu’s eyes flickered, but he didn’t speak. Jin Wang stood up, went to the desk, and began writing rapidly. After a while, he handed a prepared document to Ye Shu.

“Do you believe me now?”

Ye Shu unfolded the letter. It was indeed an imperial decree ordering the release of the Ye family and the return of their estate and wealth.

Ye Shu asked, “Why is Your Majesty doing this?”

Jin Wang watched him, his expression calm. “I said I want to start over.”

Ye Shu didn’t know he was pregnant yet, and Jin Wang didn’t plan to tell him just yet. His desire to start over was genuine. Last night, after the initial shock and joy, what filled Jin Wang’s heart was worry. His relationship with Ye Shu was on thin ice; if he suddenly revealed the child’s existence, it wouldn’t be a surprise, but a burden. Ye Shu might not even… want to keep the child.

Jin Wang would never allow that to happen. He could have used force to keep Ye Shu in the palace to nurture the pregnancy, but he knew that pushing too hard would backfire. It was better to coax him first, and once he could accept the situation, slowly reveal the truth. In any case… given this person’s scatterbrained nature, he likely wouldn’t notice the changes in his body for a while.

Ye Shu had no idea what Jin Wang was thinking. He held the decree, feeling quite speechless. Start over? Who wants to start over with a tyrant like you?! He grumbled internally but didn’t dare show it.

Jin Wang said, “I will order the wedding to be postponed, and the Ancestral Sacrifice Ceremony in a few days will also be pushed back.”

“Wait, the Ancestral Sacrifice Ceremony?” Ye Shu sharply caught the keyword.

Jin Wang nodded. “It is the custom of Changlu that before a royal wedding, one must go to the Ancestral Temple to pay respects. But since we are starting over, I won’t rush the marriage. I will wait until the day you are truly willing.”

Jin Wang’s words were full of sentiment, but Ye Shu didn’t process a single one of them. His mind was entirely occupied by the Ancestral Sacrifice. The Imperial City was too heavily guarded to escape, but the Ancestral Temple was different. This might be his only chance to run.

Ye Shu said urgently, “No need to postpone! Why would you postpone it?”

“Shu?”

Ye Shu grabbed Jin Wang’s hand, pleading: “Everyone in the world knows the Sovereign of Changlu is getting married next month. What would it look like to postpone it now? Besides, preparing for a wedding is a massive expense and labor; if you postpone it on a whim, won’t all that hard work go to waste?”

“But…”

“No ‘buts,’ listen to me,” Ye Shu said decisively. “We can start over, but the wedding doesn’t need to be postponed.”

He was rarely this firm. Jin Wang looked at him with confusion. After a short while, Jin Wang reached out to stroke Ye Shu’s hair.

“Okay. I’ll listen to you.”

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